A virtual card is a digital version of a physical credit or debit card. A virtual card works just like a real credit or debit card so you can use it for online payments and transactions. Do you know that GCash offers a virtual card for free to its users? With the GCash American Express Virtual Pay card, you can enjoy the benefits and privileges of a debit card for free without paying annual fees.
GCash American Express Virtual Pay is a prepaid virtual card that allows you to shop online or pay for subscriptions in local and international websites like Amazon, Lazada, Netflix, Spotify and many more. Basically, as long as the website or online store accepts American Express, you can use your GCash Amex Virtual Pay card.
Unlike most virtual cards and debit cards issued in the Philippines, the GCash American Express Virtual Pay card has a United States billing address. This means that you can use the card for online shopping and transactions in Amazon and other US-based shopping websites. Some US-based websites don’t accept locally issued cards, so the GCash Amex card is a must-have if you want to shop at Amazon and the like.
GCash American Express Virtual Pay is linked to your GCash account and uses the same balance as your GCash mobile wallet. So before you use your GCash virtual card for online purchases and payments, make sure that you have enough balance in your GCash wallet to pay for your transactions. It’s solely for online transactions so you can’t use it to withdraw money at an ATM unlike with the GCash MasterCard. The GCash Amex card also can’t be used at physical stores. If you want a real debit card that you can swipe at stores and withdraw money from ATMs, you can get the GCash MasterCard instead. It’s not free but doesn’t require a yearly fee or maintaining balance.
If you only need a card for buying stuff at Lazada or paying for a Netflix subscription, then you can’t go wrong with the GCash American Express Virtual Pay card. It’s totally free and doesn’t require a minimum balance to activate.
If you don’t have a GCash account yet, you can sign up here and get ₱50 in your wallet for free after you verify your account. Verification is not needed to activate the GCash Amex card, but your account must be verified to add money through online cash-in channels.
How to Activate Your GCash American Express Virtual Pay
Open the GCash app and log in using your MPIN. On the home screen, tap “Show More.”
Scroll down to the “Lifestyle & Shopping” section and tap “Pay Online.”
Next, select “Pay with American Express Virtual Pay.”
Enter your email address and tap “REGISTER.”
Your GCash American Express Virtual Pay is now being processed. Wait for the text message confirming that your GCash virtual card has been activated.
To access your GCash American Express virtual card, just go to “My Linked Accounts” (which can be accessed by the tapping the top-left menu or by swiping from left to right) and select “American Express Virtual Pay.”
There you can view your card number, expiry date, security code/CVV, US address and phone number.
Easy, isn’t it? You can now start using your GCash Amex virtual card for online shopping and payments. For your safety, don’t share your card number and security code with anyone else.
You can also change the security code or CVV anytime you want by pressing “Get New Code.” The new security code will then be sent to you via SMS.
How to Use the GCash Amex Virtual Card
The GCash American Express Virtual Pay card can be used to pay at these websites and services:
- Amazon
- Apple
- Google Play
- Grab
- Lazada
- Netflix
- PayPal
- Samsung
- Shopee
- Spotify
- Tinder
- Zalora
- and many more…
To use the GCash Amex virtual card, all you have to do is to enter the 15-digit card number, expiry date and security code (CVV) at checkout. The amount will be deducted from your GCash wallet so make sure that you have enough funds to cover the purchase or transaction. Read this article to learn how to add money to your GCash account.
You can also link your GCash American Express Virtual Pay with your PayPal account. That way, you can use your GCash wallet as a funding source when paying with PayPal. Unfortunately, you cannot use your GCash Amex virtual card to withdraw money from PayPal.
Conclusion
The GCash American Express Virtual Pay card is a trustworthy alternative to bank-issued cards due to the fact that it’s totally free and doesn’t incur annual fees. Since it’s a prepaid card that can only be accessed through the GCash app, there’s minimal risk of fraud because it cannot be stolen. You can use it for one-time purchases or recurring subscriptions without worrying about credit card theft or fraud.
If you have any questions or concerns about the GCash Amex virtual card, call the GCash hotline 2882 or email [email protected].
